5 Fun Ways to Teach Preschool Math
Here are five fun ways to teach preschool math to your child. These hands-on activities are sure to engage your little ones!
Have you introduced preschool math to your child yet, or does the thought of workbooks and worksheet make you sigh in dread? Don’t worry, the solution is here.
Discover five hands-on ways to teach math to your preschoolers. They’ll love them almost as much as they’ll love the memories you make as you do each one.
Teach Preschool Math
Take a Walk
Take a walk around the neighborhood and search for numbers. You should find numbers all over the place.
Point out the numbers on houses as you pass by. Look at cars and license plates. Check out the street signs by the road.
Nothing makes a small child as happy as finding the numbers they’re learning all over town.
Bake Cookies Together
Baking cookies together is another fabulous way to learn preschool math. It’s also a popular preschool activity.
Point out the numbers in the cookbook. Count out the cups of flour. Count the eggs as you break them. How many teaspoons of baking soda or spices are you pouring into the batter?
After the cookies are baked, count how many you need to save for later. Count the number you’re able to eat now. Play a few addition and subtraction games as you munch the cookies.
Have a Tea Party
Now that you have baked cookies together, try having a tea party. Invite all the stuffed animals in the house.
Count the animals as they appear. Find chairs for the animals to sit on. Count the plates carefully to ensure you have enough.
Chat about subtraction as you reduce the number of stuffed animals to fit the number of chairs. Add a chair or two and ask how many stuffed animals can now come back.
Be sure to enjoy a few cookies as you host the tea party for the stuffed animals of the house.
Play Cards
Card games such as Uno and Go Fish!
are excellent ways to teach numbers to preschoolers. Kids have to match the numbers on the cards. Preschool kids learn their digits as they play.
Spend a few minutes everyday playing card games with your kids. Say the numbers as they appear, help your child find the numbers they need.
Learning preschool math through cards games is easy and fun.
Indoor Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts are a blast, but you don’t have to go outside to play. Instead ask your child to find a number one in the house. See how quickly your child appears with the number, or knowing where a number one is.
Also send your child to fetch two blocks or three crayons. Once your preschooler is skilled at finding the appropriate number, start asking addition or subtraction problems such as “Find me 2+1 crayons.”
Keep increasing the difficulty of the scavenger hunt as your child grows, and you’ll be amazed at how much math they learn.
Don’t try to do all five ways of learning preschool math the same day. Spread the adventures out, and have fun with your preschooler.
Preschool Books About Math
Fill your book basket with a great collection of books about numbers and counting. Most of these books can be found at your local library or used bookstore.
If you have a hard time finding them, you can order them through my Amazon affiliate links by clicking the images below.
Ten Black Dots – One dot can make a sun, two dots can make the eyes of a fox, and three dots can make a snowman’s face. And that’s just the beginning in this unique counting book!
Goodnight Numbers – As children say goodnight to the objects all around them—three wheels on a tricycle, four legs on a cat—they will connect with the real numbers in their world while creating cuddly memories, night after night.
Bedtime Math – Kids can discover the truth behind all their favorite things: marshmallows, Coca-Cola, astronaut ice cream, and more! These fun, mischief-making math problems aren’t just kid-friendly, but actually, kid-appealing.
Teaching Resources
This wooden ten-frame is a great hands-on way to teach counting, number recognition, and one-to-one correspondence.
Boost early math into high gear as you count, add, subtract, and more with these colorful rubber mini cars and numbered tracks!
These counting and number books will help you reinforce early math skills as you share a favorite (or discover a new) story with your preschoolers.
Kids can work on counting and number recognition while building fine motor muscles with these Halloween candy count and clip cards.
What is your favorite way to teach preschool math?
More Math Fun
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Tara is the brains behind Homeschool Preschool, where her journey from preschool and public school teacher to homeschooling mom of three fuels her passion for early childhood education. With a blend of expertise and firsthand experience, Tara’s writings offer practical tips and engaging resources to support families in creating meaningful learning adventures at home.